Five Aspects of My American Life I Didn't Realize I Would Miss

Hola todos!

I decided I was probably due for another post, considering that all of my followers are gobbling up every crumb of my Spanish experiences! At first I was at a loss of what to write about, as these past few days have been relatively uneventful; no crazy excursions, no near breakdown over being lost, and no embarrassing communication errors! So what to write about? I have been here for over 6 weeks and continue to gush over my adoration of the culture, but with every great love, comes the list of qualities we could do with out. We all have that favorite pair of shoes that, on some days, rub in such a way that a small blister forms. It's time to get a little satirical, Spanish style. Listed below are five aspects of American life that nobody warned me I would miss.

1. Personal space

I choose this quality first because I am currently sitting in a bustling Spanish cafe filled with exuberant, overly expressive patrons, constantly moving the extra  chairs around my tiny little table to clear a path for their mammoth baby carriages. Ironically enough, the toddler sitting directly behind me has just reached over from the perch on her (unknowing) mother's lap and grabbed my shoulder, as I awkwardly try and scoot a couple inches forward, so as not to seem like a creep. Between the busy eating establishments, the slight touching of thigh on thigh with a stranger on the metro, and the fact that I practically stub my toe on the foot of my bed immediately upon opening the door to my room, I longingly reminisce on the days in which all my extremities moved freely.

2. Not living next to an elementary school


Anyone who knows me understands my occasional lack of patience with younger children. As I have explained before, all the children here are very precious as they stroll down the street in their little khaki pants, spouting out delightfully miniature phrases in Spanish accents. I don't know much about the Spanish schooling system but I DO know that school two doors down from me does not enroll cute little kids, but WILD ANIMALS. Recess apparently lasts between 10am and 1 pm and I am also convinced that during this period of time, they are rallying an army of tiny little monsters in preparation for some sort of coup. It really puts a kink in my siesta schedule when (through a closed window) I am inundated with actual chanting of about 100 Spanish 6-year-olds.

3. Dairy products that belong in the refrigerator 

This is not such a big deal, just a little disconcerting for a girl that was always taught that milk that has been left out for too long is sufficiently questionable. These days I am instructed to replenish the milk that was in the fridge with the back up stock....kept underneath the kitchen counter. I'm not familiar with how pasteurization processes work, and I have experienced any negative side effects, so I guess I'll just get over this one. Oh- by the way, if you're looking for eggs, just check the aisle with the dry spaghetti....

4. Knowing how to accurately express emotion

 At home I do not often put thought into the reflex reactions I have to a surprising piece of information, or bad news. I found myself laughing to myself in class the other day as we learned the colloquial phrases used to respond to such conversation matter. We all were instructed to formulate a hypothetical sentence that was either unbelievable, surprising, upsetting, or impressive. Upon hearing a sentence we were supposed choose from the list of reactions that were appropriate. Something about the way I silently, without expression racked my brain after hearing a classmate say "I JUST WON THE LOTTERY!" made realize how foreign I truly was. I was not aware that I would have to relearn emotions as well as every other vocabulary word and sentence structure!

5. World wide web as I know it
 This one is pretty obvious. I once learned about an ancient Incan society in the mountains of Peru in which the primary method of delivering messages from town to town was a member of the tribe who, in the span of an entire day would run from the base of the mountain to the top, wearing thin cloth sandals. I used to think that this was an unbelievable example of how far technology has come...until I tried to send an email. Emotionally I AM that Incan messenger, often finding the task of cyber communication to be a daunting one, that I must plan my entire schedule around. After a successful delivery, it is common that I do some sort of celebratory dance, and collapse in exhaustion.

In conclusion, these changes that I have encountered are sufficiently irritating, but are also interesting to reflect upon! Going back to my shoe metaphor, despite the aggravation, I in no way feel any sort of shopper's remorse. I simply get to appreciate more the times in which I am comfortable : )